Namecheap Customer Stories: Samuel Carvalho

We know we keep saying it, but we love our customers. Not just because you buy our products and services, but because you’re changing the world in your own unique and profound ways.

Namecheap customer Samuel Carvalho is no exception.

From Suffering to Support

As a teenager, Samuel battled eating disorders and severe depression. Luckily, through treatment and with the support of his family, he was able to manage (and eventually conquer) the mental illness that dangerously affects millions of teens worldwide.

After his recovery, however, he felt the need to reach out and serve others who might not have been so lucky. So, Samuel launched the organization Stand Up Stay Strong in 2012 when he was just 16 years old.

Samuel’s fledgling organization (which changed its name to Support.how in 2017) began with a single vision in mind: to help people who suffer from depression and other mental illnesses–especially young people–find the support they need.

Using Tech to Make Healing Connections

Samuel credits technical guidance from his father for his early interest in coding, web development, and design. All of this background made launching a web presence practically second nature to him. Additionally, Samuel was an early adopter of Twitter, attracting over 50,000 followers (a miraculous feat at the time for a non-celebrity) even before starting Stand Up Stay Strong. This put him in a perfect position to use the emerging social media culture as a tool for connecting and helping others.

The concept behind support.how is straightforward: users and visitors simply contact the site (anonymously, if desired) and chat directly with a member of the support staff about whatever is troubling them. They can discuss concerns about cyber-bullying, sexual and domestic abuse, or depression and anxiety.

In addition to offering a listening ear, support.how staff members often serve as intermediary advocates between young people and their counselors, doctors, family members, and educators.

Though Samuel now counts celebrities and major public figures among the site’s devoted users, serving young people at risk was a foundational goal when he began it. “After recovery, when I could think clearer,” he says, “I knew for a fact I would’ve benefited from simply talking to someone similar to my own age and who had gone through a mental illness themselves.”

A Royal Success Story

Samuel Carvalho and his partner Ashleigh Bainbridge at Buckingham Palace

Samuel’s dream has only grown stronger since its humble beginnings. Support.how has been awarded for their work (as Stand Up Stay Strong) by the charity organizations Young People of the Year and Concern for Mental Health. In 2017, Samuel himself was invited to Buckingham Palace to meet with Her Majesty the Queen and the Royal Family.

Today, with over 200,000 Twitter followers and a robust online presence, Samuel maintains the same goal for the organization as he did at the beginning—to offer one-on-one support and guidance to those in need.